Report Finds States Leading the Charge for Improved Public Safety Communications

As federal policymakers are mired in debate over nearly a dozen communications interoperability proposals, the First Response Coalition (FRC) today released a new report highlighting numerous states that have leapfrogged national interoperability efforts by employing unique funding structures, maximizing available spectrum, and connecting stakeholders through effective governance systems. The report, Interoperability Innovation: State Best Practices & Models for First Responder Communications concludes these best practices should be promoted nationwide, coupled with increased federal funding.

The report finds:

• Funding remains the major hurdle to achieving full interoperability, with creative state financing limited by insufficient federal commitments
• State innovations illustrate the opportunity to improve the existing first responder communications system and upgrade networks with new technologies without drastically reallocating spectrum
• As various states pursue innovative tactics, there is a distinct need for adherence to technical standards to better ensure equipment employed across jurisdictions is compatible.

"State innovations are helping first responders communicate while 'Rome burns' in Washington, D.C.," said Steven Jones, FRC executive director. "The state programs demonstrate that interoperability is possible without additional spectrum allocations beyond the 24 megahertz from the digital television transition."

The public safety communications networks in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada are given high marks and their under-publicized successes should be shared nationwide. Colorado employs a Public Safety Trust Fund to pay for the hybrid 700/800 MHz public safety communications network. Utah's UCAN network has been in place for years, provides interoperability coverage for 85 percent of the state's population, and handled all communications for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Nevada connected the state's four distinct trunked radio systems into one "virtual" network that utilizes 700 MHz, 800 MHz, and 150 MHz radio systems.

Mark Pallans, Radio System Administrator for the Nevada State Radio System (NSRS) said, "One of the key aspects is that everybody that is on the system understands how it works, its capabilities, and they strive to improve it. First-line responders are the ones that should have a say into what goes in [to the system], not politicians at the other end of the spectrum."

Other unique state interoperability solutions identified by the FRC include Virginia's statewide governance structure, Indiana's motor vehicle surcharge for public safety communications, and Texas' IP-based VIDA network.

"States have become testing centers for interoperability solutions, but their efforts do not reduce the need for significant federal funding and leadership" said Jones. "We need a national strategy with a target date for achieving nationwide interoperability to support these states in their commendable efforts."